


Encased in Queen Anne's Lace

by ZeldaByrdeBishop



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, awban deviation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26378704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeldaByrdeBishop/pseuds/ZeldaByrdeBishop
Summary: Zelda Spellman has been getting restless since her excommunication and Dorothea asks Father Xavier what to do.
Relationships: Dorothea Putnam/Zelda Spellman
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10





	Encased in Queen Anne's Lace

**Author's Note:**

> I've been promising @hypotheica_chainsaw and @timelady_queenofhell Dorothea and Zelda fluff for sooooo long. It's time to deliver! <3
> 
> (also this is unedited - im on vacation so no editing because I hate it! Lmaoo!)

“Father, I don’t know what to do.”

Father Xavier frowned deeply as he listened. 

“It’s Zelda…...ever since her excommunication from her church and the eradication of her powers, she’s been so tired. She tries so hard to keep it hidden from me, but yesterday she -”

He could practically see Dorothea’s hands go into her pockets as her jaw tightened. 

“She was in the barn with the chickens trying to hit one with a shovel, but it kept slipping past her and I thought for sure she was going to just combust with rage, but instead she just…..dropped the shovel and started sobbing…….Father..what if all of this has been too much? Her family is in Japan and her father forbids contact. She used to live so lavishly….the sheer incandescence of some of the gowns she brought home - I can’t help but feel I’ve forced a swan to live out the rest of its days in an impossibly small tin bathing basin.”

Father Xavier’s frown deepened as he looked down at the crucifix in his hands, rubbing his thumb over it’s smooth surface. He was the only one in town who knew the true nature of the relations between Dorothea Putnam and Zelda Spellman. He wished they would come into town but, the town was still on the hunt for witches and even if the Spellman no longer had her powers, the fact that she had at one point still posed a threat, let alone the general outlook on what the town would label as a “perverse” relationship. He was sure the secrecy wasn’t aiding the former witch’s ability to cope with her new circumstances. He’d met her once - a lovely vibrant girl, very sociable. 

“Our Lord confirms to us that physical belongings are not what provide us solace, Dorothea.”

He could hear her shift her weight, but the woman said nothing. 

“I can assure you that you provide plenty in that regard, but you mention her family has moved to Japan?” What an odd and impossibly far location.

“Yes, Father.”

“How many times has she ventured from the farm since her removal from the church?”

Dorothea’s frown grew, “She hasn’t…..we’ve been concerned for her safety.”

“We? Or you?”

Father Xavier could hear her grow quiet. He had an idea. It was a risk, but if they were careful it just may give the former witch the release she needed. 

“You should take her into town.”

Dorothea’s voice grew tense, “Father-”

“I imagine she is lonely, dear.” 

“What if something bad happens? What if someone catches on that she used to be a witch? What if they predict our-”

The woman stopped herself. He had asked her last session to cease calling her and Zelda’s relations perverse. He may not understand them, but he knew the Lord could work in mysterious ways and after seeing the way they looked at each other when Dorothea had invited him for supper, he concluded nothing could be perverse about the tenderness and joy between the women. 

“If things go poorly, you two are permitted sanctuary in this church for as long as you need until we can provide safety for you both, but you can’t keep your Zelda locked in a box for her safety. I know you’ve seen the effects of animals who stay in cages for far too long.”

Dorothea nodded and stood, taking a deep breath. “You’re right, Father…..thank you.”

He stood up and left his booth to open the door to her’s, holding his arms out, “Always.”

Dorothea wiped away a fearful tear with a small smile before sharing an embrace with the priest. 

“Now go. Tell Zelda I said hello.”

Her smile grew and she nodded, parting from him, “Yes, Father.”

***

Zelda was swinging a hoe into the ground, breaking up the soil a few meters in front of the barn, when Dorothea had arrived back home. Likely, to prepare for the corn Dorothea had hoped to begin planting within the week. 

Her curly red hair had begun to wire out of the bun she’d put it in and the pretty light blue frock she wore was stained with dirt, her fancy leather boots filthy beyond repair. 

“It’s looking good,” Dorothea praised as she got close.

Zelda wiped some of the sweat from her brown, leaving streaks of dirt over her face as she smiled at Dorothea, although it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “How is Father Xavier? Did he answer your question?”

Dorothea wrapped her arms around the witch’s waist from behind, gently kissing her dirty hairline, smelling the gentle sweat from the witch’s body as she pulled her closer. 

“He says, hello, and yes he did.”

Zelda nodded, resting her head back against Dorothea’s shoulder, “Good.”

Dorothea pecked the witch’s lips before releasing Zelda’s waist to take the hoe from her hands. 

“...Zelda? How would you feel about going into town tomorrow?”

The witch pulled away a bit, surprised. Dorothea could see the excitement behind her eyes that the witch quickly tried to hide. “Do you think it’s safe?”

Dorothea shrugged as she set the head of the hoe on the ground, her left hand sneaking into her pocket, a smile sneaking through the corners of her lips as she teased, “Probably safer than you wielding this hoe.”

Zelda smirked and snatched the hoe back, pointing the rounded wooden end at Dorothea, “Watch your tone, Mortal.” 

Dorothea’s smile grew into a grin as she quickly shot her fingers out to Zelda’s waist, causing the woman to squeal and dance backwards to avoid the offending fingers. 

“Dora! Stop!”

Dorothea chuckled, stopping only as the hoe found itself dangerously close to her face for a moment.

“Alright! Alright….. I am serious about town through, Zelds…..Let’s go tomorrow morning.” 

The witch’s eyes were curious, but joyful as she nodded, catching her breath a bit, recovering from Dorothea’s tickling fingers, “...Alright. So long as you’re sure.”

Dorothea nodded, growing more sure with each passing second, able to see the vibrancy filtering back through her beloved at the prospect of venturing out of their oasis. “So long as you pull out one of the dresses you’ve tucked away. They deserve to see the light of day,” she assured, gently tucking a curl behind Zelda’s ear, her heart swelling at the glow in Zelda’s green eyes. 

***

Dorothea couldn’t help but smile to herself as she washed the dishes free of their breakfast.

Zelda had been preening since sunrise, adding a gentle amount of rouge to her lips and cheeks. She’d pulled out a soft green dress that had required Dorothea’s assistance to aid with her corset so the dress could be properly tied together around it. Dorothea didn’t understand Zelda’s desire to suffer for fashion, but in seeing the glee the red-head exhibited while showing Dorothea the intricacies of the bodice detailing, Dorothea figured it would serve her best not to comment and to simply comply with the request. 

“Are you about ready, love?” she asked the witch, drying her hands to turn to the woman, who was still glued to their small mirror, tucking a few strands back into their places before straightening her back. 

Zelda turned to Dorothea and smiled, radiant. “Yes. How do I look?”

Dorothea’s smile grew as she gently stroked the top of the woman’s cheek as not to mess up the rouge she applied, “Absolutely ravishing. You’ll be the talk of the town.”

The witch pursed her lips, trying to keep her smile at bay as she rolled her eyes, “Hush.”

Dorothea held out her arm, “You know I can’t.”

Zelda hummed softly as she took Dorothea’s arm, letting her lead her out to their little horse drawn wagon. 

***

It had taken everything in Dorothea not to chuckle out loud as the witch’s delighted chatter had filled their journey into town. It had struck her how quiet the witch had gotten, when suddenly Zelda felt the desire to begin to speak about the little things she generally made comments on once again, like how the geese had begun flocking in the pond nearby and they would likely have to find a way to keep the geese away from their corn, perhaps constructing a scarecrow. 

This periodic chatter paused a bit when they arrived in the town square, the looming hanging tree, casting shadows at the end of the road, but Dorothea quickly turned them into a nearby shop, full of little trinkets that reminded her of Zelda. 

The shopkeeper was a small older woman, who delighted in bead work and crocheting, and the moment she saw the intricate beading in Zelda’s bodice, she quickly took the witch behind the counter to get a closer look. The woman listening intently with wonder as the witch spoke of the Italian seamstress who made the frock. 

“Dorothea! Come look at these!” Zelda had cried out, while analyzing the beautiful doilies the old woman made, listening as the woman explained the significance behind the patterns. 

Dorothea beamed as she glanced at the doilies, but found herself unable to keep her eyes of Zelda for too long. She practically had to pry her out of the shop after Zelda had purchased a few of the doilies from the woman, or she was sure they would be in that shop all day and Dorothea had a few other shops she wanted to hit. 

Zelda enjoyed the herbalist and purchased some rolled cigarettes from the man, but Dorothea had turned them out of that shop faster than intended as the shopkeeper began to touch Zelda’s wrist a few more times than Dorothea could tolerate as he showed Zelda his different blends. 

“Jealous?” Zelda had smirked, tucking the cigarettes into Dorothea’s back pocket.

The woman rolled her eyes and huffed, forcing herself to keep from pulling Zelda into her side. “No.”

“M,” Zelda replied with a coy grin as they walked past a few other shops, before finally reaching the florist Dorothea had been secretly aiming for. 

“Let’s stop here.”

Zelda's grin softened as she raised an eyebrow, following Dorothea into the shop, where they were hit with the fragrant air upon entry. 

“It’s almost dizzying,” Zelda whispered as she looked around them at the varying colors. 

Dorothea nodded, feeling dizzy for reasons beyond the smell as she accidentally touched one of Zelda’s curls when the witch turned away, before quickly shoving her hands in her pockets, her pants tightening slightly with the pressure, causing the cigarettes Zelda had slipping into her back pocket to rest against her ass in a way that coaxed a secret smile from her lips. 

A woman who would have never dreamed of interacting with Dorothea came up to them and began to compliment Zelda’s complexion, asking her tips on how to get her lips the magnificent shade Zelda had cultivated, launching the two women into a conversation that rolled over Dorothea’s head. 

Zelda’s ability to chameleon herself to match each unique individual was fascinating to Dorothea. She mentally scolded herself for keeping Zelda hidden for so long. The town loved her for all of the reasons Dorothea did. Her witch was captivating, vibrant, bright, kind, and hungry for knowledge, even on subjects that seemed trivial. Of course the town would love her, cherish her in their own way. 

Slowly, Dorothea meandered away from Zelda and her new friend, making her way to the counter to make two small purchases before returning to Zelda’s side while the woman who had approached them left.

“Dora, Amanda’s husband runs the brewery and she’s invited us to stop by later this week and try a few of their new blends...if you think that may be safe,” Zelda inquired, her last words a whisper as they exited the shop, Dorothea leading them back towards their wagon. 

She smiled and held out her hand for Zelda to step into her seat, “I think that would be a splendid idea.”

Zelda’s smile grew as she reached out her hand to Dorothea to “help” her into her own seat, finally spying the small package in her hand. “What did you purchase?”

Dorothea smirked and handed the parcel to Zelda as she clucked the horse into gear. 

“You’ll have to open it to find out.”

Zelda rolled her eyes as she untied the parcel, revealing a pink rose encased in a bushel Queen Anne’s Lace and two packets of seeds, one for each flower. Zelda’s jaw dropped. “...Dora.” Her fingers gently brushed over the rose’s soft petals, before she looked up to her partner.

“I wanted to say how sorry I am. I should have brought you out earlier...I was just afraid to lose you.”

Zelda frowned deeply and took Dorothea’s hand in her’s, as their wagon got far enough away from the square to be seen. “You have no reason to be sorry…you do so much to keep me safe, Dora...I can never repay you for that.”

Dorothea frowned and squeezed Zelda’s hand, “You have nothing to repay, dear, ever. Remember that.”

Zelda’s hand left her’s and Dorothea opened her mouth to apologize again, sure she must have said something offensive, but instead Zelda’s hand moved to her cheek, pulling her face to hers to kiss her. 

Dorothea thanked God the horse knew the way home as her grip on the reins grew slack, her hand tentatively touching the witch’s knee as she kissed her soft lips. The smell of roses sweet between them. 


End file.
